His Abandoned Luna Chapter 162

|| Lilac's POV ||

The night air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth as we approached the secluded villa. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting long, skeletal shadows across the path. My heels sank slightly into the soft ground with each step, the silence between us heavy with unspoken tension.

"Do you feel anything?" Madeline asked suddenly, her voice too casual.

I frowned. "Feel what?"

She exchanged a glance with Astrid, who merely shrugged. "You'll see."

Instead of leading me through the front door, Madeline guided me around the side of the villa, toward a large, uncovered window. The curtains were drawn back, revealing a dimly lit bedroom inside.

"What are we—"

Astrid pressed a finger to her lips, silencing me. Then she pointed.

My breath caught.

There, in the center of the room, was Elias.

And he wasn’t alone.

A woman—no, a wolf—was wrapped around him, her bare limbs tangled with his as they kissed with a desperation that made my stomach turn. Her nails raked down his back, drawing faint red lines against his skin. Elias groaned, his hands gripping her hips as he pushed her onto the bed.

Clothes were shed in frantic movements.

Skin met skin.

And then—

He was inside her.

A dry, rhythmic thumping filled the air, the headboard knocking against the wall in time with their movements.

"Bastard!" The word tore from my throat before I could stop it, my hands clenching into fists so tight my nails bit into my palms.

Madeline smirked. "Don’t blame her. It’s all my mate. He thinks he’s with you."

I whipped my head toward her. "What?"

Astrid studied me, her head tilted. "So you don’t feel it?"

"Feel what?"

"The pain of betrayal, of course," Elara added, her voice laced with something like curiosity.

I stared at them, then back at the scene inside. Elias’ face was twisted in pleasure, his body moving with a possessiveness that should have shattered me—if he were truly mine.

But all I felt was...

Nothing.

"I see," I murmured. "Not at all."

Behind me, Alaric let out a slow breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good."

Madeline nodded. "He’s likely not your mate, then."

I arched a brow. "Likely? There’s still doubt?"

"Well, since your wolf isn’t present, we need to run another test to be sure," Astrid explained, while Elara—goddess help me—snapped pictures through the window.

"Why are you taking pictures?" I hissed.

Elara grinned. "Just in case we need to post them to get you out of your engagement."

I groaned, slamming my face into my hands. "But you set him up to begin with!"

"Yeah," Astrid said cheerfully. "Because he deserved it."

Despite the absurdity of the situation, warmth bloomed in my chest. These lunatics were my lunatics.

We finally entered the villa, the air inside thick with the scent of sweat and sex. Elias lay unconscious on the bed, the she-wolf already gone—likely ushered out by Alexander.

Madeline clapped her hands together. "Alright, here’s the plan. Lilac, you’ll be here when he wakes up. Play along, act like it was you he—"

"No."

Alaric’s voice was a whip-crack, his body suddenly between me and the bed. "She’s not going near him."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. It’s just for a few minutes."

"She’s not pretending to be his mate," Alaric snarled, the possessive edge in his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

Astrid crossed her arms. "We need confirmation, Alaric. If he isn’t her mate, this is the fastest way to prove it."

"I don’t care." His hand found mine, fingers intertwining tightly. "Find another way."

Madeline threw up her hands. "You’re being unreasonable! She’ll be fine. Elias won’t even touch her—he’ll be too disoriented to—"

"I said no." The growl in his voice was unmistakable now, his eyes flashing dangerously.

I squeezed his hand. "Alaric."

He looked down at me, his expression softening slightly.

"I’ll be safe," I murmured. "And if he is not my mate... shouldn’t we know why he pretended?"

“No just why. How.” Madeline said.

“Forging a fake mate bond is unheard off. We doubt a warrior like him can pull up this entire game,” Astrid added.

"Exactly! We need to find out who is pulling the strings and how the hell he approached you as your mate. We doubt he is aware of your wolf situation," Elara said.

His jaw clenched. A beat passed. Then another.

Finally, he exhaled sharply. "Fine. But she stays the night with me. She’ll only be here right before he wakes up."

Madeline grinned. "Deal."

Astrid smirked. "Possessive wolf."

Alaric bared his teeth at her. "Try me."

I couldn’t help it—I laughed.

Because despite the mess, the lies, the sheer insanity of this night...

I was exactly where I belonged.